Carpet and matting clamp for sewing-machines



(No Model.)

E.B.ALLEN. CARPET AND MATTING CLAMP FOR $EWING MACHINES.

No; 598,332. Patented Feb. 1, 189B.

EDWARD B. ALLEN, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGERMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEl/V JERSEY.

CARPET AND MATTING CLAMP FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 598,332, dated February1, 1898.. Application filed May '7, 189 7. Serial No. 635,464. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD 'B. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carpet and MattingClamps, of which the following is a specification, ref erence being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improvement in the carpet holding andsewing apparatus described by my Patent No. 524,997, dated August 28,1894. The carpet holding and stretching clamps or clamping-arms shownand described in my said patent are provided with toothed or serratedcarpet-engaging surfaces, so that when they are brought into contactwith the carpet to be stretched and held they will take a firm hold uponthe same, thereby preventing the carpet from slipping between theclamping-jaws as the latter are forced together in the clamping andstretching operation.

The object of the present invention is to adapt the carpet holding andclamping jaws of the apparatus described in my said patent for use inholding straw or other kinds of matting when the latter is to be sewedby means of the machine and apparatus described in said patent. Thetoothed or ser rated surfaces of the clamping-jaws when used for thepurpose of holding matting to be sewed are liable to mar or indent thesmooth surfaces of the matting with which they are brought into clampingcontact, and thus for the purpose of preventing this marrin g action ofthe toothed clamping-jaws I provide movable shields which may be readilybrought into position to cover the toothed surface of the clamping-jawswhen matting is to be sewed, but which may be readily removed from thesejaws. These shields will preferably be so constructed as to be adaptedto be thrown out of the way when not in use without being entirely takenoff, so that they may again be readily moved into operative positionswhen desired. These removable shields consist, preferably, of thinmetalplates provided with shanks bent to engage portions of the springs whichforce the clamping-jaws forward or toward each other, and which platesor shields are preferably so pivoted on portions of these springs thatthey may be turned over to cover the toothed faces of the clamping-jawsor may be thrown back out of the way, as may be desired. The smoothsurfaces of these shields will hold the matting with sufficientfirmness, and as it is not necessary that the matting should bestretched, as is the case with carpets, the clamping-surfaces of theshields being entirely smooth will permit the matting to slip slightlythrough the same should the stretching action of the clamping-jaws be sogreat as to tend to unduly stretch the matting.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a pair ofclamping-jaws which are intended to' operate as described in my saidpatent and which are provided with shields constructed in accordancewith the present invention. one of the jaws.

A A denote the pivoted clamping-jaws, pro- Vided with toothed orserrated clamping portions or faces a, these .jaws being pivoted tosuitable parts, as described in my said patent, and being provided withsprings 12, which tend to force them forward or toward each other, butwhich will yield when the said clampingjaws come in contact with thesurfaces of the material or work to be held and by a slight longitudinalmovement will effect the stretching action, as described in my saidpatent. To suitable extensions or loops 1) of the springs b are pivotedthe movable shields or plates 0, which are preferably formed of thinsheet metal and the shanks of which are bent, as shown, to formspring-clips embracing the said loops 1), the said shields being thuspivotally mounted on said loops, so that they may be turned into theoperative positions shown in full lines in the drawings or may be turnedbackward to the inoperative positions indicated by dotted lines, andthus be out of the way when not desired for use. Thus when the shieldsare to be used in holding the matting to be sewed they will occupy thepositions shown in full lines, but when the apparatus is to be used forholding carpets or fibrous material which is required to be stretchedsomewhat tightly and the surface of which will not be injured by contactwith Fig. 2 is a side view of the toothed holding portions of theclampingjaws the said shields will be thrown back out of the way intothe inoperative position shown in dotted lines.

' I do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to the precisedetails of the shields removably mounted with reference to the toothedsurfaces of said jaws and being thus adapted to be placed in position tocover the said toothed surfaces or to be removed from the said surfaceswhen not desired for use.

2. The combination with toothed clampingjaws, for use in a carpetholding and sewing apparatus, of smooth-surfaced shields pivotallyconnected with said jaws so that they may be swung into position tocover the toothed surfaces thereof, or may be thrown backward out of theway when not desired for use.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD B. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

I. A. REID, PHILIP DIEHL.

